Family And Friends Remember Man Killed In Crossfire Outside Capitol Casino

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) -- Sacramento police finished their investigation late Sunday evening of an early morning shooting at Capitol Casino that left an innocent victim dead.

Just after 1:30 a.m. on Sunday, a fight broke out in the parking lot of the casino. An armed, off-duty Sacramento police officer, who was working security at the casino, came out to break up the fight. He got the two men to stop fighting, but as they began to walk away, one of them began shooting.

The officer, a 20-year veteran of the force, then returned fire.

"It appears at this point, several rounds were fired at our officer, causing significant damage to the vehicle our officer had taken cover behind. This individual appears to have shot as many 17 rounds," explained Matthew McPhail, with Sacramento police.

"When I came out (of the casino), I didn't hear anything until I went home. When I got hone about 5 minutes later, I heard shooting. It was rapid stuff. It was just a lot. Maybe 10 to 15 times," explained one casino goer, who also lives walking distance from the casino.

During the shootout, police say 36-year-old Sacramento resident, Nicholas Broadway, was shot several times, likely by the suspect. Broadway, who is a former state government employee, died at short time after at a local hospital.

The day-long investigation meant many neighbors were trapped at home as nearby roads were blocked off.

"It's sad because we felt like hostages on our own home because we couldn't go to church this morning. We tried to go around C Street, but we couldn't," said Mariam Schmidt, who also lives near the casino.

Police wrapped up their investigation late Sunday evening. That's when the casino opened back up and patrons began to return. Sunday's crowd may not be as big as usual, but few seemed worried about safety.

Ron Abrams says he has been coming to the casino for years and says there is very good security.

Meanwhile, police say they will continue their investigation, which includes reviewing the casino's surveillance video in hopes of identifying the shooting suspect.